Limitless personalisation: the role of Big Data in unveiling service opportunities

The relevance of services is increasing in the world economy, and digital technologies are boosting this process. At the same time, customers are becoming used to receiving services that are closer to their needs and expectations, and Big Data seems to play a key role in the evolution of services. This research aims to link these two trends by studying how Big Data is re-shaping service classification, thereby impacting the variables that have been used over the years to describe and classify services. This paper studies this emerging kind of services through 12 illustrative case studies based on theoretical sampling, under two variables: the extent of customer contact and the degree of customer participation and involvement. The research offers a classification of these services, discussing them under the lenses of previous models in the service field.